The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to working with key stakeholders to improve accessibility at airports across the country for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and older travellers.
The commitment was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Terminal C of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, under Project Elevate: The National Aviation Accessibility Initiative, a research project led by Comrade Abidoun Ozurumba.
According to Inclusive News, the initiative is assessing the current state of accessibility in Nigeria’s aviation sector by identifying barriers, reviewing progress made and developing practical recommendations to strengthen compliance with accessibility standards.
For PWDSpotlight, the development represents another important step towards addressing one of the long-standing concerns of Nigeria’s disability community—that public infrastructure and essential services should be designed to serve everyone, regardless of disability.
As PWD Spotlight previously argued in its editorial, “Nigeria Cannot Continue Treating Persons with Disabilities as an Afterthought,” accessibility is not a favour or a social welfare initiative but a legal and human rights obligation under the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
During the meeting, members of the Project Elevate research team emphasized the importance of collaborating with FAAN and other aviation stakeholders to create airport environments where persons with disabilities and elderly passengers can travel safely, independently and with dignity. The team also disclosed that it is engaging the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to strengthen compliance with accessibility regulations across the aviation industry.
Disability rights advocates, including Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Consultant to the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and Deaconess Adedoyin Beyioku-Alase, former Chairperson of the Nigerian Deaf Association, Lagos State Chapter, shared first-hand experiences of navigating airport facilities. They highlighted persistent barriers and called for improved infrastructure, accessible communication systems and disability-friendly services to make air travel more inclusive.
Representing the Director of Compliance and Enforcement at the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Barrister Ikem Uchegbulam reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to enforcing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act. He stressed that the Commission remains focused on promoting accessibility across public buildings, transportation, employment and other essential services, including airport facilities.
The meeting was attended by the Head of Operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Nanloh Nuhu, his Technical Adviser, Usman AbdulSalam, and other aviation officials. Participants agreed that future engagements should involve a broader range of stakeholders across the aviation ecosystem to sustain momentum towards eliminating barriers and creating a more accessible, inclusive and passenger-friendly airport system in Nigeria.
While FAAN’s commitment is a welcome development, the true measure of progress will be seen in concrete improvements at airports across the country—from accessible terminals and boarding procedures to trained personnel, assistive technologies and effective enforcement of existing disability laws. For millions of Nigerians with disabilities, inclusion begins when accessibility becomes standard practice rather than an afterthought.
